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{{Spoiler|HM|MA|HL}}
 
{{Creature infobox
 
{{Creature infobox
|image=[[File:Bowtruckle.JPG|250px]]
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|image = Bowtruckle.png
|name=Bowtruckle
+
|name =
 
|skin = Green
|eyes=Brown
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|eyes = Black
|skin=Wood
 
  +
|hair =
|native=[[England]], [[Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]]
 
  +
|feathers =
|affiliation=Its Home Tree
 
  +
|related =
|class=XX
 
  +
|native = *Western [[England]]
  +
*Southern [[Germany]]
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*[[Scandinavia]]
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|alias =
  +
|height = 8 inches
  +
|length =
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|wingspan =
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|mortality = Mortal<ref name="COSG">{{COS|G}}</ref>
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|distinction = *Resemble trees<ref name="FB"/>
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*Tree-dwelling<ref name="FB"/>
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*Eats insects<ref name="FB"/>
 
|affiliation = Its Home Tree<ref name="FB"/>
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|class = [[Beast]]<br/>[[XX]]<ref name="FB"/>
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|status = Extant
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Quote|The Bowtruckle, which eats insects, is a peaceable and intensely shy creature but if the tree in which it lives is threatened, it has been known to leap down upon the woodcutter or tree-surgeon attempting to harm its home and gouge at their eyes with its long, sharp fingers. An offering of woodlice will placate the Bowtruckle long enough to let a witch or wizard remove wand-wood from its tree.|[[Newton Scamander|Newt Scamander]], {{FB}}|Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)}}
The '''Bowtruckle''' is immensely difficult to spot, being a hand-sized, insect eating, tree dweller with long sharp fingers (two on each hand), brown eyes, and a general appearance of a flat-faced little stickman made of bark and twigs, which serves well as camouflage in its natural habitat.
+
The '''Bowtruckle''' was a hand-sized, insect-eating, tree dwelling [[magic]]al [[beast]] with long sharp fingers (two on each hand), brown eyes, and a general appearance of a flat-faced stick figure made of bark and twigs, which served well as camouflage in its natural habitat.<ref name="FB">{{FB|R}}</ref> They were immensely difficult to spot.
   
  +
==Description==
The Bowtruckle can be found in western England, southern Germany, and certain Scandinavian forests. A Bowtruckle serves as a tree guardian for its home tree, which is usually a tree whose wood makes [[wand]]s (such as [[Wiggentree]]). The twig-like fingers are well adapted for digging out wood lice in trees, and can also be used as a weapon against a foe when aimed at the eyes. It is generally a peaceful creature, but will become violent if anything threatens its tree, or even to itself. To take leaves or wood from a Bowtruckle's tree, one would have to offer it [[wood lice]] or [[fairy]] eggs as a distraction.
 
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[[File:BowtrucklesWU.png|thumb|150px|left|A tree branch of Bowtruckles]]
 
The Bowtruckle could be found in western [[England]], southern [[Germany]], and certain [[Scandinavia]]n forests. A Bowtruckle served as a tree guardian for its home tree, which was usually a tree whose [[wand wood|wood]] was of [[wand]] quality<ref name="OOTP13"/><ref>{{COG|S}}</ref> (such as a [[Wiggentree]]).<ref name="FB3">{{FBC|3}}</ref> The twig-like fingers were well adapted for digging out [[Wood louse|wood lice]] in trees and could also be used as a weapon against a foe when aimed at the eyes.<ref name="FB"/>
  +
  +
A group of Bowtruckles was called a branch.<ref name="group">[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7xior9 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Extended Featurette - Behind the Magic]</ref>
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  +
It was generally a peaceful creature, but it could attempt to gouge out an attacker's eyes if anything threatened its tree or itself, and was adept at dodging most types of [[charm]]s.<ref name="POAG">{{POA|G}}</ref> In order to take leaves or wood from a Bowtruckle's tree, a [[Wizardkind|wizard or witch]] had to offer it [[Wood louse|woodlice]]<ref name="FB"/> or [[fairy egg]]s<ref name="OOTP13"/> as a distraction.
  +
  +
==History==
  +
===Earlier history===
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[[File:Bowtruckle2.png|200px|thumb|A Bowtruckle in a Care of Magical Creatures lesson during the 1987–1988 school year]]
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  +
[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] had a [[Bowtruckle Island]] at the [[Great Lake]]. [[Newton Scamander]] used to go to it when he attended Hogwarts, and gained the trust of the Bowtruckles. In between February and June [[1913]], he took [[Leta Lestrange]] in an effort to cheer her up.<ref name="COG">{{COG|S|70}}</ref>
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[[Newton Scamander|Newt Scamander]] kept a branch of Bowtruckles in [[Newton Scamander's suitcase|his suitcase]] by [[December]] [[1926]].<ref name="FBS">{{FB|S}}</ref>
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  +
During the [[1987–1988 school year]], Bowtruckles were studied by [[fourth year|fourth-year]] [[Care of Magical Creatures]] students at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], taught by Professor [[Silvanus Kettleburn]], who described them to be slipperier than [[Frog Spawn Soap]].<ref name="HM43cmc">{{HM|4|3|cmc}}</ref> [[Silvanus Kettleburn's Bowtruckle|One of Kettleburn's personal Bowtruckles]] was named by [[Jacob's sibling]], and was named either [[Jacob (Hogwarts student)|Jacob]], [[Barnaby Lee|Barnaby]] Junior or [[Newton Scamander|Newt]], after a person of the same name.<ref name="HM44">{{HM|4|4}}</ref>
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Bowtruckles were studied by [[fifth year|fifth-year]] Care of Magical Creatures students at Hogwarts during [[1995–1996 school year]], taught by substitute Professor [[Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank]].<ref name="OOTP13">{{OOTP|B|13}}</ref>
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===[[21st century]]===
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In [[2008]], a new [[First year|first-year]] [[Unidentified Muggle-born Hogwarts student|student]] helped [[Neville Longbottom|Professor Longbottom]] water Bowtruckle saplings in the [[Herbology Classroom]]. He suggested they use the [[Water-Making Spell]] instead of a watering can. When they tried to water a sapling, they accidentally hurt it which made it angry. Neville intervened and apologised, offering a treat as a peace offering before it decided to gouge out their eyes.<ref>{{MA|1|Aguamenti}}</ref>
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In the [[21st century]], a branch of bowtruckles was unleashed as a [[Confoundable]] by the [[Calamity]] and had to be dealt with by the [[Statute of Secrecy Task Force]] and returned to the [[Black Forest]] in [[Germany]]. [[Luna Lovegood]] also took a [[Magizoologist]] member of the [[Statute of Secrecy Task Force]] into the [[Forbidden Forest]] in search of Bowtruckles, teaching them the incredible concentration and care required to locate such small creatures.<ref name="WU">{{WU}}</ref>
   
 
==Etymology==
 
==Etymology==
The word "bow" was an old Scottish dialect means "dwelling," and "limb of tree" or "truckle" in old English dialect. This means "to take a subordinate position."
+
The word "bow" was an old Scottish dialect means "dwelling", and "truckle" means "limb of tree" in old English dialect. This means "to take a subordinate position".
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
==Behind the scenes==
  +
*It is unknown why Bowtruckles are classified as harmless given their aggression when their home tree or themselves are threatened.
*In ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]'', bowtruckles help build wooden ladders in the Forbidden Forest.
 
  +
**A possible explanation is that they are ''generally'' peaceful, only displaying aggressiveness in these selected circumstances (explaining why they're classified as harmless as opposed to boring). Furthermore, due to their small size, they might not pose a grave danger to wizards, even when they are being aggressive.
*The only film that they are mentioned in is ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''.
 
  +
*The Bowtruckle's use in lock-picking may be inspired by the [[Wikipedia:Raskonvik|rashnovik plant]], a magical herb in Slavic mythology said to be able to unlock or uncover anything that is locked or closed regardless of size, material, or key. They were notoriously difficult or even impossible to find and identify, and could only be found by chthonic animals like snakes, tortoises, or hedgehogs.
*In the GBA version of ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'', they appear as enemies. When you go near a tree they live in, they can throw pieces of wood at you. To defeat them the player has to cast the [[Confundus Charm]] at them.
 
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[[File:Bowtruckle-0.JPG|200px|thumb|Bowtruckle, as seen in the [[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC, Mac)|PC version]] of {{COS|GA}}]]
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*In the [[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC, Mac)|PC version of ''Chamber of Secrets'']], Bowtruckles appear as enemies, whose offensive consists of throwing pieces of wood. Harry can cast [[Severing Charm|Diffindo]] at them to defeat them, which earns him a piece of [[Wiggentree bark]], one of the two ingredients in the [[Wiggenweld Potion]]. Unfortunately, due to the absence of enemies dropping [[Flobberworm Mucus]] upon defeat, this does tend to offset the player's balance of ingredients rather heavily.
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**The pieces of wood thrown by them to hurt the player are actually Wiggentree barks.
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**They are also much larger and evil-looking in this appearance.
 
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (GBA)|GBA version of ''Goblet of Fire'']], they appear as enemies. When a player goes near a tree they live in, they can throw pieces of wood at him or her. To defeat them, the player has to cast the [[Confundus Charm]] at them.
 
*In {{LEGO|Y1}}, Bowtruckles help build wooden ladders in the Forbidden Forest.
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*In {{DH|F1}}, [[Rubeus Hagrid]] commented to [[Harry Potter]] that ''"I brought you here sixteen years ago when you were no bigger than a bowtruckle."''
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*At Comic-Con 2016, [[Eddie Redmayne]] chose a Bowtruckle Newt Scamander calls "[[Pickett]]" as his favourite beast in {{FB|FHF}}.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/fantasticbeastsmovie/videos/1148429778548846 Facebook live chat]</ref>
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
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{{Imagecat|Images of Bowtruckles}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''
 
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*{{PS|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]'' {{Comment|GBC and PC versions only}}
 
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*{{COS|G}} {{C|GBC and PC versions only}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]'' {{FWC}}
 
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*{{POA|G}} {{FWC}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]'' {{Comment|GBA version only}}
 
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*{{GOF|G}} {{C|GBA version only}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
 
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*{{OOTP}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]'' {{Comment|Mentioned}} {{Comment|[[Exploding Snap]] [[Famous Witches and Wizards Cards|Famous Wizards Card]]}}
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*{{OOTP|G}} {{Mention}} {{C|[[Exploding Snap]] [[Famous Witches and Wizards Cards|Famous Wizards Card]]}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' {{Mention}}
 
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*{{HBP}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]'' {{Mention}}
 
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*{{DH|F1}} {{Mention}}
*''[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real)|Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]''
 
  +
*{{FB|S}}
*''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)|The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]'' {{Mention}}
 
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*{{FB|F}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
 
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*{{COG|S}}
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*{{COG}}
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*{{AM}}
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*{{SOD|S}}
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*{{SOD}}
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*{{FB|R}} {{1st}}
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*{{TBB|R}} {{Mention}}
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*{{PM}}
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*{{WW}}
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*{{LEGO|Y1}}
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*{{LEGO|D}}
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*{{FBC}}
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*{{HM}}
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*{{WU}}
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*{{MA}}
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*{{HL}}
   
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==Notes and references==
  +
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Care of Magical Creatures}}
 
{{Care of Magical Creatures}}
 
{{Creatures by classification}}
 
{{Creatures by classification}}
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{{Chocolate Frog Cards}}
   
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[[de:Bowtruckle]]
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[[de2:Bowtruckle]]
 
[[es:Bowtruckle]]
 
[[es:Bowtruckle]]
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[[fi:Bowtruckle]]
 
[[fr:Botruc]]
 
[[fr:Botruc]]
[[Category:Beasts]]
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[[it:Bowtruckle]]
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[[ja:ボウトラックル]]
[[Category:XX Creatures]]
 
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[[nl:Boomtrul]]
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[[no:Tretryting]]
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[[pl:Nieśmiałek]]
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[[pt-br:Tronquilho]]
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[[ru:Лукотрус]]
  +
[[sv:Bowtruckle]]
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[[zh:护树罗锅]]
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[[Category:Beast Chocolate Frog Cards]]
  +
[[Category:Bowtruckles|Bowtruckles]]
 
[[Category:Care of Magical Creatures]]
  +
[[Category:Creatures from England]]
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[[Category:Creatures from Germany]]
  +
[[Category:Creatures from Scandinavia]]
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[[Category:Folio Bruti entries]]
  +
[[Category:Forbidden Forest]]
  +
[[Category:Foundables]]

Latest revision as of 13:23, 7 January 2024

"The Bowtruckle, which eats insects, is a peaceable and intensely shy creature but if the tree in which it lives is threatened, it has been known to leap down upon the woodcutter or tree-surgeon attempting to harm its home and gouge at their eyes with its long, sharp fingers. An offering of woodlice will placate the Bowtruckle long enough to let a witch or wizard remove wand-wood from its tree."
Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[src]

The Bowtruckle was a hand-sized, insect-eating, tree dwelling magical beast with long sharp fingers (two on each hand), brown eyes, and a general appearance of a flat-faced stick figure made of bark and twigs, which served well as camouflage in its natural habitat.[2] They were immensely difficult to spot.

Description

BowtrucklesWU

A tree branch of Bowtruckles

The Bowtruckle could be found in western England, southern Germany, and certain Scandinavian forests. A Bowtruckle served as a tree guardian for its home tree, which was usually a tree whose wood was of wand quality[3][4] (such as a Wiggentree).[5] The twig-like fingers were well adapted for digging out wood lice in trees and could also be used as a weapon against a foe when aimed at the eyes.[2]

A group of Bowtruckles was called a branch.[6]

It was generally a peaceful creature, but it could attempt to gouge out an attacker's eyes if anything threatened its tree or itself, and was adept at dodging most types of charms.[7] In order to take leaves or wood from a Bowtruckle's tree, a wizard or witch had to offer it woodlice[2] or fairy eggs[3] as a distraction.

History

Earlier history

Bowtruckle2

A Bowtruckle in a Care of Magical Creatures lesson during the 1987–1988 school year

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had a Bowtruckle Island at the Great Lake. Newton Scamander used to go to it when he attended Hogwarts, and gained the trust of the Bowtruckles. In between February and June 1913, he took Leta Lestrange in an effort to cheer her up.[8]

Newt Scamander kept a branch of Bowtruckles in his suitcase by December 1926.[9]

During the 1987–1988 school year, Bowtruckles were studied by fourth-year Care of Magical Creatures students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taught by Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, who described them to be slipperier than Frog Spawn Soap.[10] One of Kettleburn's personal Bowtruckles was named by Jacob's sibling, and was named either Jacob, Barnaby Junior or Newt, after a person of the same name.[11]

Bowtruckles were studied by fifth-year Care of Magical Creatures students at Hogwarts during 1995–1996 school year, taught by substitute Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank.[3]

21st century

In 2008, a new first-year student helped Professor Longbottom water Bowtruckle saplings in the Herbology Classroom. He suggested they use the Water-Making Spell instead of a watering can. When they tried to water a sapling, they accidentally hurt it which made it angry. Neville intervened and apologised, offering a treat as a peace offering before it decided to gouge out their eyes.[12]

In the 21st century, a branch of bowtruckles was unleashed as a Confoundable by the Calamity and had to be dealt with by the Statute of Secrecy Task Force and returned to the Black Forest in Germany. Luna Lovegood also took a Magizoologist member of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force into the Forbidden Forest in search of Bowtruckles, teaching them the incredible concentration and care required to locate such small creatures.[13]

Etymology

The word "bow" was an old Scottish dialect means "dwelling", and "truckle" means "limb of tree" in old English dialect. This means "to take a subordinate position".

Behind the scenes

  • It is unknown why Bowtruckles are classified as harmless given their aggression when their home tree or themselves are threatened.
    • A possible explanation is that they are generally peaceful, only displaying aggressiveness in these selected circumstances (explaining why they're classified as harmless as opposed to boring). Furthermore, due to their small size, they might not pose a grave danger to wizards, even when they are being aggressive.
  • The Bowtruckle's use in lock-picking may be inspired by the rashnovik plant, a magical herb in Slavic mythology said to be able to unlock or uncover anything that is locked or closed regardless of size, material, or key. They were notoriously difficult or even impossible to find and identify, and could only be found by chthonic animals like snakes, tortoises, or hedgehogs.
Bowtruckle-0

Bowtruckle, as seen in the PC version of the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 64 images related to Bowtruckle.

Notes and references

Care of Magical Creatures
Fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-pottermore
Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts
Hagrid's Hut · Forbidden Forest · Care of Magical Creatures Classroom · Magical Creatures (club) · The Paddock
Professors Silvanus Kettleburn · Rubeus Hagrid · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank (substitute teacher)
Textbooks The Monster Book of Monsters · Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Creatures studied at Hogwarts
Blast-Ended Skrewt · Bowtruckle · Chimaera · Crup · Demiguise · Diricawl · Doxy · Dugbog · Fairy · Fire Crab · Fire Dwelling Salamander · Flobberworm · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Gnome · Golden Snidget · Griffin · Hippogriff · Imp · Jackalope · Knarl · Kneazle · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Occamy · Porlock · Quintaped · Streeler · Thestral · Unicorn · Yeti
Magical creatures by classification
X Flobberworm · Horklump
XX Augurey · Bowtruckle · Chizpurfle · Clabbert · Diricawl · Fairy · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Imp · Jobberknoll · Mooncalf · Porlock · Puffskein · Ramora · Winged horse
XXX Ashwinder · Billywig · Bundimun · Crup · Doxy · Dugbog · Fire crab · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Hippocampus · Hippogriff · Hodag · Jarvey · Knarl · Kneazle · Leprechaun · Lobalug · Mackled Malaclaw · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Nogtail · Pixie · Plimpy · Pogrebin · Red Cap · Salamander · Sea serpent · Shrake · Streeler · Winged horse
XXXX Centaur · Demiguise · Erkling · Erumpent · Golden Snidget · Graphorn · Griffin · Hidebehind · Kappa · Kelpie · Merperson · Occamy · Phoenix · Re'em · Runespoor · Snallygaster · Sphinx · Tebo · Thestral · Thunderbird · Troll · Unicorn · Winged horse · Yeti
XXXXX Acromantula · Basilisk · Chimaera · Dragon · Horned Serpent · Lethifold · Manticore · Nundu · Quintaped · Wampus cat · Werewolf
Albus Dumbledore-101-chocFrogCard
Chocolate Frog Cards
Bridget-wenlock-card-lrg
Gold cards

Armando Dippet · Albus Dumbledore · Barberus Bragge · Bertie Bott · Carlotta Pinkstone · Dzou Yen · Falco Aesalon · Godric Gryffindor · Harry Potter · Herpo the Foul · Helga Hufflepuff · Montague Knightley · Phillipus von Hohenheim · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin

Silver cards

Alberic Grunnion · Alberta Toothill · Andros the Invincible · Artemisia Lufkin · Blenheim Stalk · Bowman Wright · Chauncey Oldridge · Circe · Cliodna · Crispin Cronk · Cyprian Youdle · Daisy Dodderidge · Derwent Shimpling · Donaghan Tremlett · Dunbar Oglethorpe · Dymphna Furmage · Elfrida Clagg · Felix Summerbee · Fulbert the Fearful · Gaspard Shingleton · Gideon Crumb · Glenda Chittock · Gondoline Oliphant · Gregory the Smarmy · Gwenog Jones · Honoria Nutcombe · Ignatia Wildsmith · Joscelind Wadcock · Kirley Duke · Laverne de Montmorency · Leopoldina Smethwyck · Maeve · Mirabella Plunkett · Mopsus · Morgan le Fay · Oswald Beamish · Roderick Plumpton · Sacharissa Tugwood · Thaddeus Thurkell · Wendelin the Weird · Xavier Rastrick

Bronze cards

Adalbert Waffling · Almeric Sawbridge · Archibald Alderton · Balfour Blane · Beatrix Bloxam · Beaumont Marjoribanks · Bridget Wenlock · Burdock Muldoon · Cassandra Vablatsky · Celestina Warbeck · Cornelius Agrippa · Devlin Whitehorn · Dorcas Wellbeloved · Edgar Stroulger · Elladora Ketteridge · Ethelred the Ever-Ready · Flavius Belby · Gifford Ollerton · Glanmore Peakes · Glover Hipworth · Greta Catchlove · Grogan Stump · Gulliver Pokeby · Gunhilda de Gorsemoor · Havelock Sweeting · Hengist of Woodcroft · Heathcote Barbary · Herman Wintringham · Hesper Starkey · Jocunda Sykes · Justus Pilliwickle · Merlin · Merton Graves · Merwyn the Malicious · Miranda Goshawk · Mungo Bonham · Musidora Barkwith · Myron Wagtail · Newton Scamander · Norvel Twonk · Orsino Thruston · Perpetua Fancourt · Quong Po · Roland Kegg · Stoddard Withers · Tilly Toke · Uric the Oddball · Yardley Platt

Famous Vampires cards

Blodwyn Bludd · Vlad Drakul · Amarillo Lestoat · Carmilla Sanguina · Herbert Varney

Famous Hags cards

Babayaga · Malodora Grymm · Old Mother Hubbard · Cordelia Misericordia · Leticia Somnolens

Famous Giants cards

Bran the Bloodthirsty · Cyclops · Goliath · Morholt · Hengist of Upper Barnton

Famous Goblins cards

Alguff the Awful · Eargit the Ugly · Gringott · Ug the Unreliable · Urg the Unclean

Dragon cards

Common Welsh Green · Hebridean Black · Hungarian Horntail · Norwegian Ridgeback · Romanian Longhorn

Beast cards

Billywig · Bowtruckle · Doxy · Double-ended Newt · Giant Purple Toad · Giant Squid · Gnome · Gytrash · Imp · Kelpie · Manticore · Mountain Troll · Streeler · Phoenix · Unicorn